Application of gas-solid heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction of nanoparticle TiO₂ to ethylene degradation

A gas-solid heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction of TiO₂ was investigated for ethylene degradation during storage of fruit and vegetable. Photocatalysis of ethylene degradation by nanoparticle TiO₂ which was prepared by sol-gel processing was conducted in gas-solid phase photocatalytic experiment system. The effects of ethylene concentration and illumination time of UV light on degradation reaction, the kinetics of photocatalysis of ethylene degradation were also studied. The results showed that: the content of anatase phase of the TiO₂ catalyst was 48.766%, and its specific surface area was 47.186 m²/g, the TiO₂ catalyst is of good photocatalytic activity; under 10 min illumination of UV light, the degradation rate of ethylene in TiO₂ photocatalytic treatment was increased by about 23.76%, compared with that of the UV light without TiO₂ treatment; the degradation rate of ethylene decreased with the increase of ethylene concentrations; the kinetics of gas-solid heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction of nanoparticle TiO₂ for ethylene degradation can be described using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic equation.